Cyrus death: Passengers, other than driver, not wearing seat belts in state, rue cops

Bhubaneswar: The Central Motor Vehicle Rules has made it mandatory for passengers to fasten seat belts both in the front and rear of a four-wheeler but compliance of the law and its enforcement are lax in the state.
Non-use of safety devices such as helmets and seatbelts do not cause accidents but are critical for averting fatal and grievous injuries in the event of road accidents.
The matter has assumed greater significance following the tragic death of former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry in a highway accident in Maharashtra on Sunday. As per a preliminary probe by the police, Mistry and another co-passenger were in the back seat and were not wearing seat belts.
In Odisha, use of the seat belt is largely confined to the drivers. Passengers hardly use front or rear seat belts in many places, including the capital city. Traffic cops only penalise the drivers, who are caught without wearing seat belts.
“We have been sensitising people to fasten the front as well as rear seat belts. Mostly drivers are obeying the rule whereas the passengers often risk their lives by not using seat belts,” assistant commissioner of police (traffic) Swastik Panda said.
Panda said the police have been fining drivers Rs 1,000 if they are found not using seat belts. “We will sensitise the passengers to use rear seat belts. In many cases, drivers quickly fasten their seat belts after seeing our personnel from a distance and again unfasten them. They should realise the life-saving significance of seat belts,” Panda said. The norm is applicable only where the vehicle manufacturer has provided rear seat belts.
According to data on road accidents compiled by the ministry of road transport and highways, altogether 1,953 people, including drivers and their co-passengers, were killed in accidents for not wearing seat belts in the state between 2018 and 2020. A total of 5,543 people were injured for not wearing seat belts during the period.
Experts said police should launch awareness campaigns about the necessity of wearing front and rear seat belts. “Former Union minister Gopinath Munde had died in a road accident in 2014. He was not wearing his rear seat belt. Some awareness drives were carried out in different states then. But the practice stopped. Now, Cyrus Mistry’s death has once again turned the spotlight on the issue,” said P K Mohanty, a road safety campaigner.